New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

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random37
Posts: 1952
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 4:41pm

New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by random37 »

Well, old bike day.

I am the proud owner of a Rudge Bi-frame. It was £30 locally, and looks barely used.

It's a weird thing. A full size mountain bike that folds. Ludicrously long wheelbase, but oddly short top tube. Higher BB than I wanted, but as a return to cycling I am happy enough. It has Suntour mechs and shifters, made from solid unobtainium, Terrible cheap canti brakes (with no spring adjustment at all, which I forgot cheap brakes did), and well made but very cheap wheels. And the saddle is dreadful!

Plan is to build some new wheels for it, fit a set of Magura brakes I have knocking about, and get fitter.

I konw a few other members have these, so I have some questions.

1. Do you know what size seatpin yours took?
2. Is it a standard stem, or is it BMX sized? Leaving changing it for a while, but I might want something a bit taller.

Pictures later. :-)
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by Brucey »

you might find this thread interesting

https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=68084

stem is standard 7/8" dia to fit 1" threaded steerer. Seat pin is (IIRC) 26.0mm, (and NB because of the frame geometry you probably want one that is inline or even forwards facing, else you will have an unusually large amount setback in the saddle).

Wheelbase is long but looks longer than it really is (esp in the 26" wheeled model) and is actually only about 2-1/2" longer than (say) a 1990s Kona MTB, which has a fairly short wheelbase in absolute terms.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stradageek
Posts: 1657
Joined: 17 Jan 2011, 1:07pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by Stradageek »

I bought one of these unique bikes which I passed on to my son-in-law mainly because I never used it once I discovered the rather harsh ride (maybe due to very rigid double seat tube and BB directly under the saddle?).

Loved the little design features such as the cam twist canti-wire de-tensioner to assist wheel removal and a beautifully illustrated operating manual.

My son-in-law still uses it daily so it has longevity - but then it was built for the US military, I believe it's a re-badged Montague bi-frame
random37
Posts: 1952
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 4:41pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by random37 »

As a rider well out of condition (quite ashamed/shocked at how bad I've got), I am not worried about the harshness. I'm so heavy now a bit of rigidity is a good thing.

I will probably want something a bit sleeker when I have put some more miles in. I think I might get another tourer if I'm riding regularly.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by Brucey »

if it is a 26" wheeled model (the most common sort) then it is basically a steel-framed MTB. I've ridden a lot of steel framed MTBs and most of them have pretty stiff frames and are reliant on the tyres for any semblance of ride comfort. This one is no exception; even with a single seat tube it would be rather stiff, I feel.

Mine (which I have fitted with dropped handlebars) is presently running on fairly narrow (~32mm) slicks and I think it would be better if it had some slightly wider tyres. In fact I have just bought some with that in mind.

It is indeed a Montague BiFrame with a Rudge badge on it; all were made in Taiwan but Raleigh sold them in the UK and gave them a Rudge identity. In the UK there are three main versions you will see with 26" wheels plus some 700C wheeled models. In 26" wheels there are black ones, white ones, and blue ones, made in different years, each in two sizes. The frame is slightly different with each, and so is the equipment. Black ones (the most common sort I think) have sun tour parts whereas (IIRC) blue ones and white ones have more shimano parts.

More here; https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?p=1208369

As a practical bike to get you around and get you fit it will do the job; if you want something that will be less versatile but better at a certain job later on, there are plenty of other choices.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
random37
Posts: 1952
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 4:41pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by random37 »

Yes, it's a 26". It occurred to me it would work better for a lot of people if it had drop handlebars. Possibly me!

That's all in the future. My bike collection became hoarding at one point, and it put me off using any of them. I like the idea of the Rudge intellectually as a one-bike-for-everything machine.

Do you have a photo, Brucey?
fastpedaller
Posts: 3435
Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by fastpedaller »

Strange these have come up again as I'm on the lookout for one myself.
The bottom bracket has been mentioned in another thread, and can give difficulty (if we want one with 'sealed' bearings), but I've spotted these - what is Brucey's verdict?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THUN-TWIST-1 ... xyTMdTOWoA

Could be a flimsy waste of money, or ideal for the job?
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by Brucey »

dunno if that Thun BB is any good or not. Listing says 'roller bearings' which I find hard to believe. Thun BBs are usually 'cheap and cheerful' rather than 'high quality and long-lived'.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
random37
Posts: 1952
Joined: 19 Sep 2008, 4:41pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by random37 »

It's no hardship to repair an old-fashioned bottom bracket.

Why fix what isn't broken?
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New bike day! Rudge Bi-Frame

Post by Brucey »

random37 wrote:...Do you have a photo, Brucey?


I ought to, bearing in mind I said I'd add some to the other thread several, ahem, years ago.... :oops:

I think I had various mods in mind before the camera wouldn't be frightened by what it saw.... needless to say they are not all done yet...

In the meantime the bike has seen a fair bit of use....

This one (from retrobike) isn't mine
Image
but (like mine) has the smaller sized black frame.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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